Earlier this week, after Dr. Jackie Dent hopped aboard a commuter train in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, something made her jaw drop.
People, it turned out, weren’t the only ones traveling by rail that day.
A few seats away from where Dent boarded,
a pair of wild birds were perched on a headrest — appearing to be remarkably at ease given the unusual setting.
“I was confused, startled and awestruck at seeing them on the train,” Dent told The Dodo. “I was also worried that they were trapped. I sat down quite close to them, and they didn’t move at all. They were confident and right at home.”
But then the odd encounter got even more interesting.
When Dent’s stop neared, she got ready to depart the train, leaving the birds where they sat.
“I decided the best option was to talk to the train guard at the next stop, as I was getting off anyway,” Dent said. The train guard, however, wasn’t so surprised.
“Incredibly, I was told the birds catch the train every day between Lindfield and Artarmon, scrounging food — and then they take the train back!” Dent wrote. “The birds apparently know when to get on and off because of the announcements.”
The journey between the two Sydney suburbs is roughly 3 miles. Rather than fly, these birds have apparently found a more relaxing way to make their daily commute.
“I was startled and amazed,” Dent said. “I am now on the lookout for birds on trains commuting.”
